Maria Goretti was an Italian girl and Catholic martyr who lived from 1890 to 1902. Born into a farming family in Corinaldo, she lived in poverty and assisted with household chores after her father's death. While staying at a shared farmhouse near Nettuno, she was attacked by Alessandro Serenelli, the son of the family they lived with. Following her refusal to submit to his sexual advances, he stabbed her multiple times. She died shortly after, having expressed her forgiveness for her attacker, an act that led to her being recognized as a saint.